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InterstateExit t1_j1jpk59 wrote

Reply to comment by [deleted] in PSA: Always turn off your house main water supply when you go out of town in the winter by Charlesinrichmond

It works. Your instance may be extreme, but saying that it doesn’t work is spreading misinformation. If a home’s pipes run inside an outside wall they may freeze more easily than if they are being replenished by underground non-frozen water under a house or inside insulation. Mr. Charles here knows what he’s talking about, and this article may help clarify why your in-laws’ precaution didn’t work.

Edited job to non.

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[deleted] t1_j1jxt89 wrote

[deleted]

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chairmanbrando t1_j1jydji wrote

I mean, what kinda dripping are we talking here? If it's 5 degrees outside in an area not used to such temperatures, you should be running the tap furthest from your source (if not multiple taps) with a low stream -- not dripping. Moving water doesn't freeze as readily; that's a physical fact of nature, bruh. Yes, your water bill will be higher, but it'll be a hell of a lot cheaper than having your walls and floor torn up to fix a disaster.

But is your shit still gonna freeze even with streaming taps if a random cold snap takes us to -10? Yeah, probably! My pipes froze this morning in the 5-degree bullshit despite dripping (but not streaming!), and I unfroze them with a space heater under the kitchen sink at a 2/10 temperature setting.

Edit: More cold pro tips for anyone scrolling by:

  • Keep your sink cabinets open (if you're not doing the space heater thing). Let your house's conditioned air get anywhere pipes are.
  • Buy insulating foam pipe wraps from Lowe's (fuck Home Depot) and get them on all the exposed water pipes you can find in your crawl space.
  • If your heat pump can't keep the place sufficiently warm, turn on aux/emergency heat and give your pump a rest. It'll run constantly otherwise, and depending on its age and the type of refrigerant, there's only so much it can do.
  • Space heaters on indoor pipes (under sinks but also at your water heater) can conduct that heat through the pipes' run into your crawl space, lessening the chance of freezage.
  • Replace your rotting half-inch plywood crawl space door with something that has weather stripping and some kind of backing.
  • Replace your crawl space vents with ones that actually seal up nicely when closed. If you can see light through or around them when they're closed, they can be better!
  • Know where your main water shutoff valve is; if you're in the city, this may require a water key, so get one!
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guiltyofnothing t1_j1kc71t wrote

Are insulated pipes code in Virginia?

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Charlesinrichmond OP t1_j1ktade wrote

In some places. But they delay the freeze and they just change the thermocline location they don't necessarily fix things

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guiltyofnothing t1_j1ltfyb wrote

In Richmond, you’re probably best focusing your efforts on insulating your crawl space and sealing the vents vs insulating your pipes. Just seems overkill.

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InterstateExit t1_j1ka9x9 wrote

The difference is that by saying unequivocally that it doesn’t work can cost people thousands. By saying it works, far more people can save their pipes. Your information is solipsistic while the general consensus is backed up by the experience of many.

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